IJR News

Arraez exits with sprained ankle as Phillies chase playoff spot — Sep 25, 2026Phillies second baseman Luis Arraez sprained his left ankle while avoiding a tag at first base against Milwaukee and had to be helped off the field. The National League batting leader will be evaluated further, leaving his availability uncertain as Philadelphia pursues a playoff spot.

Marcus Bell Avoiding that tag at first cost them their best hitter at the worst possible time.

Batemans Bay Club Plans 24-Hour Batting MarathonSports — Sep 19, 2026Baseball riders of 2026 are showcased by Mark DeRosa’s list of hitters who reached the next level, while fans consult batter-vs-pitcher stats to gauge daily matchups and their impact on game strategy. From Tokyo’s batting cages to a new book examining baseball superstition and lore, the sport’s technology, culture, and rituals continue to shape both performance and fandom.

Trump administration directs wildlife agency to ignore accidental species deaths — Sep 17, 2026USFWS Director Nesvik’s Sept. 14 memo limits unlawful “take” to intentional harm, writing that felling a tree is not a take of roosting bats unless done to kill or capture them.

Derek Foss Focusing enforcement on intent should reduce pointless lawsuits against regular property owners.

Alvarez Hits 41st Homer, Astros Tie AL West — Sep 23, 2026Yordan Alvarez hit his 41st home run and drove in three runs in Houston’s 7-0 win over Seattle, tying for the AL home-run lead while leading the league in batting average. The win moved the Astros into a tie atop the AL West with five games left, as Alvarez remained six RBIs short of Pete Alonso in his bid to become MLB’s first Triple Crown winner since 2012.

Braves place Lane Thomas on injured list after batting cage tweak — Sep 10, 2026Braves outfielder Lane Thomas was scratched with left-side tightness and placed on the 10-day IL, with Dominic Smith stepping in at DH and Brewer Hicklen moving to left field as Atlanta navigates the setback and contends in the NL East. Thomas had batted .171 with one homer in 21 games since the trade deadline, and his absence could affect his role going forward.

Chris Dalton Hicklen moving to left could work out if he shows more power than Thomas had lately.

Most Influential Women in World HistoryYourlist — RankingFrom ancient queens who ruled empires to modern activists who changed laws, these women left indelible marks on politics, science, and culture. Vote for who you think shaped history most profoundly.

Three Rockies Hitters Top .800 OPS, First Since 2019 — Sep 13, 2026Baseball headlines center on a Dodgers near-bat-out-of-turn moment, the Colorado Rockies' trio with OPS over .800 and how their current depth compares to the 2019 season, and Cleveland’s pivotal White Sox series that could tilt the AL Central race. In tennis, Alexander Zverev captured the US Open title, ending a long American drought and marking a milestone for Black players since Arthur Ashe.

England Near Pakistan Test Whitewash at Edgbaston — Sep 9, 2026England’s bowlers, led by Ollie Robinson and supported by Jofra Archer, dominated Pakistan’s reshuffled lineup at Edgbaston, leaving the tourists 100-7 at lunch as Robins on his 100th Test wicket signaled a clinical start to the third Test. England extended their 2-0 series lead in Birmingham with a brisk, one-sided session that exposed Pakistan’s batting woes.

Dodgers Call Up Josue De Paula for Ohtani — Sep 10, 2026Dodgers promoted top-prospect Josue De Paula after a Futures Game MVP display and as he continues to develop a powerful left-handed bat, marking a rare move from Double-A Tulsa straight to the majors. The promotion comes as Shohei Ohtani heads to a rest period and is expected to provide offensive help during a late-season stretch, with Dodgers hoping his multi-tools approach translates to the big leagues.

Rutschman homers twice in emotional return to Baltimore as Red Sox win — Sep 3, 2026Adley Rutschman returned to Camden Yards as a Boston Red Sox, receiving raucous ovations after being traded from the Orioles, and homered on his first at-bat in one game while reflecting on his Baltimore memories. Since the trade, he has battled an elbow injury and a power drought, posting a challenging .170/.500 OPS over 15 games, even as his leadership and defense remain valued as both teams fight for a wild-card spot.

Jared Kim Two homers in your first game back, that's the kind of moment you can't script. Baltimore fans showed real class cheering him.

Rick Ross Faces Domestic Violence Battery Charges — 13hRick Ross, 50, was arrested in Miami Beach on felony battery-by-strangulation and misdemeanor battery charges after an alleged Aug. 28 domestic incident; he pleaded not guilty.

Jared Kim Everyone is innocent until proven guilty so let's wait for the full facts in court.

Electra Studies $530M-$675M North American Nickel Refinery — Sep 16, 2026Electra Battery Materials announced initial engineering results for the first phase of a two-phase nickel refinery near Toronto that would convert mine-derived feedstock and recycled battery black mass into nickel metal and battery-grade nickel sulfate at about 20,000 tonnes per year, with nickel and cobalt recoveries above 97%. The project aims to strengthen North American supply chains, reduce reliance on Chinese processing, and may require roughly $530–$675 million for the first phase, with a second phase potentially adding another 20,000 tonnes of nickel capacity, as CEO Trent Mell emphasizes domestic refinement for industrial, military, and EV applications.

Maya Lindstrom This refinery could help secure battery materials for EVs without depending on Chinese processing, which is long overdue.

Quentin Tarantino vs Martin ScorseseYourlist — VS BattleThe video store savant versus the film-school don — two visions of American violence, guilt, and cool.

Chinese Electric Bike Imports Across Africa Rise 60% — Sep 10, 2026Africa’s shift to renewables and electric mobility is increasingly powered by Chinese equipment, with South Africa importing the majority of its solar, battery, and wind gear and North Africa driving a surge in Chinese electric scooters and mopeds. The continent shows a clear divide: consumer-focused North Africa leads in fully built EV imports, while East and West Africa emphasize commercial use, local assembly, and battery-swapping networks to support ride-hailing and delivery services.

Verdant Solar Among Five Malaysian Momentum Stocks — 4dRenewable-energy stocks featured include battery-storage supplier Guangzhou Great Power Energy and Technology and solar-project companies such as Solarvest and Canadian Solar, which span equipment, development and power operations. Verdant Solar is showing rising trading momentum, though a break below its stated support level could signal renewed weakness.

Verstappen Criticizes 2026 F1 Cars’ Limited Driver Input — Sep 9, 2026Max Verstappen argues that the 2026 F1 cars are numb to driver inputs, reducing the driver's ability to influence performance as shown by Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson's rapid adaptation to new teams. He says the cars reward less commitment and prefer battery-driven, top-speed strategies, and calls for regulatory changes to restore driver influence.

Allsumhome Launches Official ExBrite Online Store Nationwide — Sep 2, 2026Allsumhome.com is the official online store for ExBrite, giving homeowners, designers, contractors, and commercial partners direct access to ExBrite’s bathroom product collections. The catalog highlights Illuminate medicine cabinets, LED mirrors, and shower doors and bathtubs, with warehouse support in California, New Jersey, and Texas to serve customers nationwide.

Marcus Bell Three warehouses across the country is smart, shipping times for bathroom fixtures can be brutal otherwise.

How do you actually say "I care"?Quizie — QuizEveryone transmits care on a different frequency — words, time, help, gifts, presence. Twelve questions and the AI tunes yours.

China reportedly pauses approvals for new battery storage factories amid overcapacity concerns — Sep 7, 2026China paused approvals for new battery storage factory projects not yet under construction and launched a review of existing and planned capacity to curb chronic overcapacity in energy-transition sectors, continuing a broader crackdown after actions in EVs and solar panels. The government also announced export taxes on various batteries and photovoltaic cells starting in 2026–2028, while exempting new-technology batteries until December 2028.

Chris Dalton Curious how this affects battery prices globally if China actually reins in production instead of just talking about it.

Panasonic Opens Global Osaka Battery R&D HubBusiness — Sep 16, 2026Panasonic Energy is consolidating battery R&D in Osaka into Energy Innovation Square and a linked Suminoe facility, bringing 500+ staff together to accelerate development times by over 15% and tighten the link between lab work and mass production for automotive and data-center batteries. The initiative aims to deploy integrated digital simulations with physical testing across Panasonic’s global network, including US plants in Nevada and Kansas, to boost energy density, lifespan, and overall production agility.

Oregon Settles Adoption Case, Reconsiders Christian Mother’s Application — Sep 14, 2026Oregon doctors a settlement with Jessica Bates to allow her to be reconsidered for foster-adoption without requiring her to endorse gender ideology, effectively preventing denial of her application based on religious beliefs about sex and gender. The agreement also covers Bates’s legal costs, clarifies she cannot be excluded solely for her faith, and permits her to reapply, while Oregon maintains placements consider each child’s needs, including LGBTQ youth, separately from Bates’s case.

Nth Cycle Signs $1 Billion Glencore Battery Recycling Deal — Sep 22, 2026Nth Cycle sealed a 10-year Glencore offtake worth over $1 billion—its second billion-dollar battery deal in 2026 after Trafigura's $1.1 billion pact.

Blue Jays Rookie Bateman Exits With Hip Injury After Sliding Catch — Sep 22, 2026Blue Jays rookie Brett Bateman exited Monday vs. Orioles with right hip discomfort after a second-inning sliding catch; X-rays negative for fracture.

Elena Vasquez That sliding catch was impressive but it cost Bateman with a hip injury. Hope it's not serious for the rookie.

Stella Parton Explains Dolly’s Private Cancer Battle — Sep 8, 2026Dolly Parton privately battled cancer to avoid worrying fans and died on Aug. 25 at 80, with Stella Parton saying only a close circle knew and she wouldn’t want fans saddened by illness. In addition, Parton was a secret booster of Kathy Griffin, sending a private letter praising her and encouraging her outspoken comedy before her death.

Volvo Plans One of Sweden’s Largest Energy Parks — Sep 10, 2026Volvo Group plans one of Sweden's largest energy parks in Mariestad beside its planned battery cell factory, starting with about 70 MW/260 MWh of storage to support the regional grid and enable a future test bed for energy innovations, with commissioning targeted for 2027. The park will operate in two tracks and is designed to grow alongside the battery cell plant expected after 2030, reinforcing Volvo's regional industrial cluster and decarbonization efforts.

Priya Raman This storage addition makes sense to back up the grid while the battery plant scales up later.

Algeria Battles Deadly Wildfires, President Seeks Death Penalty — Sep 3, 2026Algeria is fighting an unprecedented wave of wildfires sweeping multiple provinces, with Jijel bearing the worst damage and official deaths at 12 while fears of higher casualties grow as footage shows mass graves and extensive destruction. President Tebboune has called for reinstating the death penalty for arsonists and lifting Algeria's moratorium on executions, a move drawing criticism from rights groups as Civil Protection and army units battle the blazes and thousands of livestock are lost.

Padres host Yankees as both teams battle for playoff spots — Sep 3, 2026The San Diego Padres, struggling with a seven-of-nine skid and a tight battle for the last NL wild-card spot, host the Yankees in a pivotal series that could determine their postseason fate, with Walker Buehler starting as the Padres push for wins and improved offense. Meanwhile, New York remains in contention for the AL wild-card as Max Fried returns to action, pairing in a high-stakes matchup that could impact both teams’ playoff hopes.

Rachel Meyers Padres offense has been the real problem, not the pitching. They need runs, not just quality starts.